【Military Second Plane】Author: All-Knowing Shurahart

▲At first glance, is it the CH-11 UAV?

Do you remember the UAV formation in the 93th military parade? Accompanied by the "Unmanned Intelligence Victory March," five types of seven UAVs passed through Tiananmen Square, demonstrating the technological leap of our military in the field of UAVs. At that time, people's attention was drawn to the four unmanned escort aircraft behind, and the leading CH-2 and CH-11 UAVs were not paid much attention to, as they were already well-known "old acquaintances."

▲Upon closer inspection, there are obvious differences from the CH-11.

However, soon some netizens with sharp eyes noticed something wrong. The wings of this "CH-11" have a noticeable gap when observed closely, which might be a foldable wing design. However, the CH-11, as a large strike and reconnaissance UAV for the Air Force, does not need a foldable wing design since its wingspan does not exceed the width of a fighter jet hangar.

Therefore, the answer is clear. This is obviously a carrier-based UAV, and it is likely based on the CH-11. In fact, there has been a lot of discussion among military enthusiasts about the existence of this UAV. Some people argued over what name it would have, with some suggesting it would be called the CH-11H, while others thought it would be the CH-15. When it appeared at the military parade, the low-visibility number on the fuselage was clearly "21," and some bold experts immediately concluded that this was the CH-21!

▲The small text in the top right quietly announced the model.

A half month later, the mystery was finally unveiled by CCTV. On the 27th, during a program where experts analyzed the possibilities of future carrier-based UAVs, the caption of the image officially announced the CH-21 as China's latest carrier-based UAV.

Being able to appear at the military parade indicates that the CH-21 is currently in service. Although it hasn't yet boarded the deck, it has basically matured in technical status. There are even rumors that the Fujian Ship completed the takeoff and landing operations of the CH-21 during its previous sea trials, although it hasn't been officially confirmed yet.

▲The X-47B takes off from the USS Bush.

Carrier-based large UAVs with a flying wing layout are not a new concept. After all, the United States completed the shipborne test of the same layout UAV, the X-47B, in 2014, showcasing an advanced design to the world. However, this machine was only a technology demonstrator and did not turn into a production-ready carrier-based UAV.

After 11 years, the United States put the X-47B into a museum and has not developed such an advanced carrier-based UAV again. The current MQ-25 "Stingray" carrier-based refueling UAV uses a large straight wing plus a large V-tail design, showing a significant regression in aerodynamic design.

▲The MQ-25 UAV, visibly backward.

With the official announcement of the CH-21, it means that China has taken the crown of the world's first mass-produced flying-wing carrier-based UAV. Following the successful catapulting of the J-35, China has once again led the United States in the field of carrier-based aircraft. The current main task of the MQ-25 is to provide aerial refueling for carrier-based aircraft, with additional reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, but it does not have effective striking capabilities. This means that the CH-21 will also become the first attack-type carrier-based UAV.

Currently, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and South Korea have conducted experimental work on the takeoff and landing of UAVs on the deck. Except for the X-47B, which used the steam catapult and arresting system of the Nimitz-class carrier for takeoff and landing, the rest are propeller UAVs weighing between 800 kg and 2 tons that complete takeoff and landing on the carrier or amphibious assault ship deck using their own power. Although these efforts have been successful, the size of the aircraft is too small, and they lack stealth capability, making their practical application very limited.

It is only with the help of the electromagnetic catapult system that has recently captured the world's attention that we can operate this large jet UAV with a takeoff weight of nearly 15 tons on the Fujian Ship and the Sichuan Ship amphibious assault ship.

▲Hong Kong media's设想 of the CH-21 combat mode.

As a carrier-based improvement of the CH-11, the CH-21 inherits its excellent performance. With its extreme stealth performance and large range, it can carry out long-range penetration strikes, air superiority attacks, and air defense suppression missions. During missions, it can directly coordinate with the J-35 stealth fighter to form a fully stealth force to launch an attack against the enemy.

Recently, the status of the first ship of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan Ship, has also been encouraging. Just eight months after its launching, the scaffolding on the electromagnetic catapult has been removed, indicating that the installation and debugging of the catapult is nearing completion. It is expected to conduct further testing shortly, and it is anticipated that the Sichuan Ship will go to sea for trials next year, and at that time, the CH-21 will also be deployed on the deck of the Sichuan Ship.

As the world's first electromagnetic catapult amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan Ship has a full load displacement comparable to the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. Its deck area is more than half larger than that of the America-class amphibious assault ships, and it could be called a UAV carrier.

▲Renderings of the CH-21 on the Type 076.

After being equipped with the CH-21, the Sichuan Ship will have strong long-range strike and situational awareness capabilities. With the same specification electromagnetic catapult as the Fujian Ship, the CH-21 can ensure full fuel and full armament takeoff, enabling it to easily strike targets up to 2000 kilometers away and maintain long-term warning and monitoring of surrounding seas. Thanks to the excellent endurance of this aircraft, the interval requirements for aircraft takeoffs and landings are significantly reduced. Even if the Sichuan Ship has only one catapult and no angled deck, it can still support the operation cycle of more than 40 CH-21s on the entire deck.

In short, the appearance of the CH-21 means that the Chinese Navy's aviation forces have long moved beyond the state of "feeling the way across the river with the US" and have instead become "removing the hat of backwardness to the Pacific" in a leading position. We can say that the era of carrier-based aircraft being unmanned is slowly beginning, and it is the Chinese Navy and Chinese defense industry that are opening this era.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7555343346529550857/

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